On the first page of the "Early Years Learning Framework Educators Guide P.3 mentions a new vision for Australia.(Access this document via our Useful Links under Library - Extra Resources tab) "The Early Years Learning Framework is an important and timely resource for early childhood.
It embraces a vision for a new Australia:
* a future that embraces all Australians
* a future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility
* a future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truely equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of Australia."
(EYLF Produced by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Governments)
We acknowledge that we all live, work and play on First Nations land where their ancestral relatedness to country is here yesterday and has survived currently and into the future. We show our sincere respects to Elders and we value their many connections to country as Australia belongs to the oldest living culture in the world.
We have put together the following information in this blog to be used as a guide to support Educators in researching, reflection and planning on taking your first step into including significant cultural days or events within your service and programming. As this is only a guide, we hope that Educators will also follow the interest of children and stories belonging to your local community as together personal and professional cultural pathways can be formed.
As we are all unique individuals based on our identities and life experiences, our cultural journeys will be different from the next person. We acknowledge that it is ok for Educators to take away various ideas and suggestions because we are all on different cultural journeys.
Here are some thoughts that may change mindsets and support Educators to embrace cultural significant events/days as meaningful and powerful tools for learning more about our First Nations Peoples and cultures.
1. A good place to start is guiding the children to do an Acknowledgment to Country, backed by supported learning opportunities and conversations about why this is an important time in your routine and what the specific meaning is behind the words that are chosen in your phrases. This will provide the foundation of connecting to the same land and Educators can then build onto this by including an array of other conversations, experiences and blending in cultural significant days and events.
26 January - Survival Day, Day of Mourning, Invasion Day
13 February - Anniversary of National Apology 2008
21 February - International Mother Language Day
17 March - National Close the Gap Day
21 March - Harmony Day
26 May - National Sorry Day
27 May - 3 June - National Reconciliation Week
3 June - Mabo Day (part of National Reconciliation Week)
3-10 July - National NAIDOC Week
4 August - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day
9 August - International Day of the World's Indigenous Peopls
1 September - Indigenous Literacy Day
2. Research your National Cultural Significant Days and Events and write these in your planning calendar. Approximately two months before this date is a good idea to start exploring what these dates mean to you and the reason behind these dates.
3. Bring these dates to your staff meeting or early childhood network meetings either online or in person to harvest a community approach of seeking other programming benefits and ideas that can be invested into celebrating the cultural date. Has your service got a visual record on what Educators have previously done for these significant days? If not, it is not too late to start one.
4. What other resources can you gather, music, books etc. Your local library will be able to help you with this. Dandiiri Schools and Community Library is a free membership cultural library. You can visit, order online or follow them on Facebook.
(Access more information via our Useful Links under Apps tab.)
5. Reflect on where and how these days fit into your QIP, Narragunnawali Reconciliation Action Plan, your service philosophy, United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child, NQS, and EYLF. You will be surprised to learn that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural curriculum does not sit alone but the complete opposite. Many cultural perspectives sit within everything that you do in Early Childhood. By thinking outside the box and with a willing and open heart to do some research and reflections you will find the First Nations cultural perspectives and significant cultural days and events will belong within all your routines and pedagogical practices that you are using every day.
6. Each year most Cultural Significant Days will have a theme and poster that can be used at staff meetings and with children. Together Educators can brainstorm, focusing on what they see in the poster and theme and how this can be included in two specific areas, your service as a whole and then in programming for all age groups.
We will be providing blogs on each of these dates before the calendar event. Don't forget to check out our resource section on our online school for other important links and information.
Thank you for joining us, together with our collective thoughts and with open hearts to embrace change we walk beside you by celebrating cultural significant events/days. Together we will be investing in Australia's future and more importantly strengthening our children's worldview as future leaders.
